I think a better solution Forbes is to require that 75% of the funds be used only for companies that do less than $10m per year in revenue. And those that have filed their form 477s at least once in the last 2 years.
That insures that the big, crooked companies don't get most of the money. It also insures that the companies that do get it are real companies serving real customer bases. marlon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Forbes Mercy" <forbes.me...@wabroadband.com> To: <ccoo...@intelliwave.com>; "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 2:07 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Sarcasm Alert] Yippee! Sprint "owns" the NTIA > Here is the letter I am sending to my congressional delegation and the > Commerce Department: > > 18 February 2009 > > RE: Broadband Stimulus Package > > This stimulus package is becoming the proverbial 'pack of feeding > wolves' led by huge corporate lobbyists. The loudest of this 'hands > out' group are the worst run companies. I just read that President > Obama is appointing Sprint-Nextel executive, Anna Gomez, to serve as > deputy director of the National Telecommunications and Information > Administration (NTIA), which will handle as much as $6.65 billion in new > stimulus wireless and broadband grants that could potentially be given > to Sprint among other large urban providers. > > If we weren't fearful of the actual providers of rural broadband getting > any of the grants before we are now. Sprint and Clearwire are two of > the worst companies at deficit spending in our industry, with the worst > results. Why is the President putting people with vested interests and > the worst spending resume in this influential position? Didn't he > campaign on not putting lobbyists and special interests in positions of > power? We don't need industry insiders; we need someone who has the > ability to tell right from wrong without bias. > > So far the Broadband funds are slated mostly for AT&T who in 100 years > hasn't expanded to rural areas while being heavily funded by the > Universal Service Fund and many other forms of government assistance. > On the other hand, with zero government aid, my company has covered many > areas of our county with High Speed Internet using our own funds as a > Wireless ISP. The big Telco's will use this money only in high density > areas, temporarily undercut pricing with more deficit spending to kill > competition, and ultimately no rural expansion all with our tax money, > same old tune. > > I had really hoped the stimulus package was a legitimate opportunity for > rural Broadband expansion, and yes, I had hoped for some of those funds, > as we are the only Internet Company interested in the low density areas > of Yakima County. Now it looks like just another pork repayment to > donors. Will we ever be able to count on government to be trusted to > deliver what they promise, certainly not from the actions we are > witnessing with this overt appointment of a competitor? > > If you need a solution instead of a complaint here it is, the USDA Rural > Grant program has been successful, well guarded against fraud, and > distributed to true providers. Take the funds from NTIA and give it to > USDA, then we are all on a fair competitive basis for grants. NTIA is a > consortium of urban providers; doesn't that conflict with the rural > Broadband expansion goal of this legislation? > > Thank you, > Forbes Mercy, > 3201 W. Nob Hill Blvd. > Yakima, WA 98902-4960 > President - Washington Broadband, Inc. > forbes.me...@wabroadband.com > www.wabroadband.com > Ofc 509-853-0858 Cell 509-307-7777 > > -----Original Message----- > From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On > Behalf Of chris cooper > Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 7:21 AM > To: 'WISPA General List' > Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Sarcasm Alert] Yippee! Sprint "owns" the NTIA > > I think that everyone that has a rep on the telecom subcommittee of > Commerce committee should contact them to voice concern. > > -----Original Message----- > From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On > Behalf Of George Rogato > Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:16 AM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Sarcasm Alert] Yippee! Sprint "owns" the NTIA > > I was going to suggest that clear wire would be the biggest winner in > this stimulus package. > But I didn't want to throw a wet towel at anyone. > > We still have to take a shot at it and get something. > > > > John Scrivner wrote: >> Does anyone know the stock symbol for the company that makes KY Jelly? >> I think that is where I will be moving my portfolio to. I'll just go >> ahead now and predict that Sprint / Clearwire end up with a minimum of >> $3B, likely more. >> >> >> TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT... Former Sprint exec tapped as NTIA deputy director >> >> The Obama administration has named a former Sprint Nextel executive, >> Anna Gomez, to serve as deputy director of the National >> Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which will >> handle as much as $6.65 billion in new stimulus wireless and broadband >> grants that will be available to Sprint and its competitors. >> >> Gomez, former vice president of government affairs with Sprint, is >> currently acting director of NTIA, which influences the president's >> telecom policy within the Commerce Department. >> >> NTIA spokesman Bart Forbes said in an interview with the Wall Street >> Journal that Gomez understands that the public has "every right to be >> concerned about her role in a potential broadband grant program," >> because of her history with Sprint. "She is discussing this with the >> ethics office and will look to remove herself from the decision-making >> process" for grant applications where appropriate, he said. >> >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > -------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > -------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > -------- > WISPA Wants You! 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